The voting never really bothered me much... I was rather thrilled to receive 3's let alone 5's.
It wasn't something I had any issue with and the fact someone took the time to vote and/or comment on my story was more than enough for me. (Yes, I have, at times, had issues with self-worth)
I did however, receive a rather blunt comment on one of my stories. I ruminated and mulled over that comment for awhile. At first I was rather peeved about it, but then I took what they said at face value and 6 months later mailed him a thank you note. What they said was valid and made total sense. I have now thought of his comment on every single one of my stories since then and hopefully it's made me a better writer.
I've been fortunate enough to not receive any really nasty comments on my stories, but I do expect it... at some point.
when i first joined, scores meant a lot to me. i felt like they were a validation of not only my story, but of me, and i'd get really upset if i was scored somewhere on the spectrum that i felt i didn't deserve. now... well, i'm happy with 4's and 5's and if i have a story that i believe average (my LoveBug stories are fun, but light weight) than i am content with a 3. that said, i consider that most of the stories here merit a 3, and if a story is getting universally good scores, and those are honest scores, then a 1 or a 2 is really just someone being an ass. that's fine. that's their issue, not a reflection of me, and i can let it go anymore. now, if someone rates someone else's story that i think is brilliant with a low score, i will get upset, and have taken my case to Nic once or twice over it. this is why she is never on when i am, she avoids me - i think it's also my stinky cheese breath.
You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.
People are sensitive souls - especially internet people (they're not real, you see - that annoys them) Giving them a number that isn't a five destroys one of the magic fairies that holds them together.
The scoring system is probably the most pointlessly contentious issue here - largely because it's the basis of Top Authors and the Story Picks of the month. Both are calculated not chosen and, as such, susceptible to underhand practices. What I would say in its defence is that it helps new authors on here rather than the established ones.
A story can become a story pick of the month with just a handful of fives - if you're a new author with only a few lush friends and your av doesn't have a pair of big boobs it's unlikely you're going to get many views, let alone votes at all. If those votes are all fives, you have a good chance of reaching a new audience when the story picks of the month come out (until you get voted down, of course)
Contrast and compare to the established authors who market their stories through their extensive networks of lush friends and with witty posts on the forums (a matter I touched on in one of my story's - there's a link at the foot of this post* ). Lots of views lots of votes the occasional 4 or even 3 will obviously creep in.
Also remember, no one gets taught how to vote here - mostly it seems if you can finish it and you like it, give it a 5. Some people may not see it that way, some might save their 5s for something that truly deserves it. Of course you will get arseholes deliberately voting down, but as online communities go Lush is remarkably fluffy when it comes to flaming. I maintain that authors should look at the number of people who favourite a story to get a good indication of its success.
I very, very rarely vote. Usually only for new authors who need a bit of encouragement.
One final point: My most read story is an Editor's [sic] Choice, has 15,399 views and 52 votes at an average of 4.71 - these figures suggest 99.7% of readers weren't even moved enough by it to vote - does that make them all 3s or worse?
* #irony
Warning: The opinions above are those of an anonymous individual on the internet. They are opinions, unless they're facts. They may be ill-informed, out of touch with reality or just plain stupid. They may contain traces of irony. If reading these opinions causes you to be become outraged or you start displaying the symptoms of outrage, stop reading them immediately. If symptoms persist, consult a psychiatrist.
Why not read some stories instead
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I think, after reading what many have written here, we don't mind if our story received a 3, 2 or 1 .... but it would be very nice if that score was quantified (expressing why) in order to gain insight on what a reader perceived.
For many of us here, our writing has evolved from our first story/poem to where we are now. Feedback helps us writers grow.
I'm afraid to say it goes with the territory and unfortunately some people take advantage of that here. That said - like everything it is all about a matter of taste and different people are looking for different stories - not all of them will be to their taste. To leave any bad score without a reason is very bad form and shows a complete lack of respect. I for one know that I can't spell or punctuate - completely dyslexic and take that criticism for what it is. Eventually I asked a good friend who is a much better wordsmith than me to proof read my efforts and my scores went up.
There is however definitely some favoritism here - with some writers getting good reviews regardless of the content - that is even worse - a cliquey little club - no thank you!
Isolation - A Tale Of Star-Crossed Lovers
By
hartclass & CumGirl
Sarcastic Coffee Aficionado
speaking of "negative" numbers ..... how do other writers feel about those that only leave a comment (usually those comments are praising) without scoring?
I am always surprised that someone takes the time to write something but doesn't hit a scoring number.
(yeah I know it's never going to be perfect ..... was just wondering how other writers felt)
Disseminator of decadence.
Personally I couldn't care less about votes and I hardly look at them. However I do care about comments and I appreciate constructive criticism most of all. I wish more of us here would take the time via PM to offer constructive crit.
I must admit there have been a few times when I've read stories and poems that I was unable to finish due to their poor quality or due to the lack of editing on the part of the author. I find it really hard to read poems that totally lack punctuation, for instance, or that show little attention to form and flow. Just as in music - there is music and there is noise.
When I was a moderator/story verifier, I was constantly correcting people's spelling, grammar and punctuation. I even sent pieces back because of the total lack of quality. These days I will not give a score or leave a comment on anything that I don't think deserves a four or a five. I don't want to hurt people's feelings but I wish authors would take the time to edit their work and show some respect for the basic rules of the English language.
One thing I do now is set my stories to only allow members to vote. I feel that this cuts down the casual vote by people who are less serious about the craft.
Someone gave me a 2. LOL
I merely consider a low score an indicater of the reader's intelligence. Hey, so I didn't write a wanker. Deal with it, suckah!
"There's only three tempos: slow, medium and fast. When you get between in the cracks, ain't nuthin' happenin'." Ben Webster
(both were only worth a 4). 
) Wow, I never thought of that. It naturally follows to me that I read, score, comment, usually. If I had to choose, I would rather get the comments, because I can learn from them (hopefully), but I do like to look at the visual chart of how people scored, as that gives me a good idea of the general consensus (the 
